Max Verstappen won the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but with third place, Lando Norris was able to clinch the Drivers’ Championship for the first time.
The Brit, despite losing second to team-mate Oscar Piastri at the start, did enough to clinch the title by just two points at the Yas Marina Circuit.
It would be the culmination of many years of ups and downs, and struggling through one of McLaren’s darkest periods in the sport, emerged as champion of the world.
The result also completed McLaren’s first double-championship – Constructors’ and Drivers’ – for the first time since 1998.
At lights out, Verstappen swooped across Norris to hold the lead, with Piastri tucking in behind in third. Leclerc got the jump on both Fernando Alonso and George Russell to take fourth.
Into the back straight, Alonso dived down the inside but Leclerc resisted him, but the action was further in front.
Piastri went around the outside of Norris at Turn 9, in what was a make-or-break move, despite it being the opening lap. The Australian was through into second place.
By Lap 2, Verstappen was already over a second ahead Piastri, with Norris a further second behind in third, but still in championship contention.
Alonso was still harrying Leclerc but the Monegasque was edging into enough of a gap to shrug it off. Hamilton was up to 13th.
Russell complained his brake pedal was “going long,” perhaps indicating a reason for his poor start, having dropped two places.
But the Mercedes man was able to catch and pass Alonso at Turns 6 and 7, as Leclerc began to reel in Norris.
Norris makes brave overtakes after early tyre change
The #4 McLaren was told the team were happy with his pace, but was creeping towards Leclerc’s DRS range, with Piastri over a second ahead on Hard tyres.
By Lap 7, Verstappen was over two seconds ahead but was told that he may be requested to go longer.
Norris was told that Piastri had been informed to “pick up the pace”, as Leclerc maintained a gap to less than a second, leaving Norris vulnerable.
Hamilton was boxed on Lap 9, along with Albon, as Piastri got word that Verstappen’s tyres were beginning to grain.
Further back, an incident between Pierre Gasly and Nico Hulkenberg was placed under an investigation, which send the Sauber back to 19th place.
Piastri had reduced the gap to under two seconds, with Norris also kept abreast of Verstappen’s graining tyres.
Verstappen responded by taking it up to two seconds again, with Norris over two seconds further back to Piastri, but also over a second ahead of Leclerc for some form of relief.
By Lap 14, Piastri had reduced it again, this time to 1.5s, with Norris nearly three seconds behind his team-mate.
The first of the big hitters to pit was Russell, coming in on Lap 15, with Hadjar following suit. Both opted for a set of Hards to be bolted on, perhaps looking to go long.
On Lap 17, Norris was in, followed by Leclerc and Alonso. The McLaren was able to rejoin ahead of both, in ninth place, with Leclerc 10th and Alonso 14th, with Russell 11th.
Tsunoda, who started on Hards, was now in a dangerous position to Norris, as the order was shaken up enough to leave him in fourth, and perhaps now set to be utilised as a mobile chicane for Norris.
With his tyres up to temperature, Russell was now beginning to hound Leclerc, as Norris was now all over the back of Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
The McLaren dived down the inside at Turn 5, and withstood a subsequent DRS attack from the Mercedes to take eighth.
Norris was now on a mission, sending it up the inside of Carlos Sainz for seventh at Turn 9, and now just three tenths off Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin.
The Brit made it a ‘buy one get one free’ manoeuvre on the Canadian as he also managed to secure enough extra speed to take Lawson for fifth.
Lawson made a go around the outside of Norris in riposte at Turn 9, but Norris held firm, retaining the place.
Leclerc was making steady progress too, managing to get ahead of Antonelli and then Stroll, repeating Norris’ success by also taking Lawson at the time at Turn 6.
Tsunoda handed penalty in attempts to hold up Norris
Norris was now fourth, with Esteban Ocon having pitted ahead of Tsunoda. Norris now had just three seconds to catch up to the Japanese driver, and took half a second out of him on Lap 21.
Tsunoda was informed to defend valiantly by the time Norris caught him, which the Red Bull pit wall projected would be in just one lap’s time.
“I know what to do, so leave it to me,” Tsunoda responded.
Told Leclerc was now only 1.5s behind Norris, Tsunoda was ready to defend like crazy, as Verstappen maintained a 2.4s lead from Piastri at the front.
Going into Turn 6, Norris made his move, with Tsunoda pushing him as closer to the barrier as possible. Four wheels on the track limits, Norris muscled past, making it stick.
Verstappen responded by boxing straightaway, taking on a set of Hards, rejoining 18 seconds behind Piastri in second, who was now in free air. Norris was not just 5.2s behind.
Leclerc then took Tsunoda for fourth, who was now placed under investigation for attempting to force Norris off the track in their earlier exchange.
But Norris was also under investigation for leaving the track and gaining an advantage. He had taken around half a second out of Verstappen by Lap 27. Piastri was 16.7 seconds ahead.
Verstappen was continuing to chip away at Piastri, with Norris contuining to chip away at Verstappen, as Leclerc was a further two seconds back.
Tsunoda was handed a five-second penalty – for more than one change of direction – just as Leclerc overtook him for fourth.
Norris could be given reason to smile as he was no longer under investigation and now still charging hard at Verstappen.
Hamilton was quietly having a good race with good progress, making his way up to eighth and just nine tenths behind Stroll in seventh.
The Ferrari driver pitted again on Lap 32 who, along with Antonelli, Gasly and Hulkenberg, were all given black and white flags for track limits.
By Lap 34, Piastri was now leading by just 10 seconds from Verstappen, who opened his gap to Norris to 5.8s.
Norris was able to feel nonplussed, as he was now four seconds in front of Leclerc. McLaren had its pit crew ready, but neither Piastri nor Norris pitted.
With the race descending into little areas of excitement, Leclerc boxed on Lap 40 for a set of Mediums, rejoining fifth.
Verstappen caught and overtook Piastri on Lap 41, who responded by finally changing his 41-lap-old Hards. He rejoined in second, but Norris was now just 4.7s behind.
The Australian quickly built it up to over five seconds, with Verstappen now 23 seconds in front, with Leclerc now under five seconds behind.
Leclerc brought it down to four seconds with just 12 laps to go. Verstappen asked if the Monegasque was catching him, to which race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase responded yes, but “nothing drastic”.
Norris was indeed continuing to match Leclerc lap by lap, with the Brit knowing this was all he needed to clinch the championship, with eight laps to go.
Norris safely sees out F1 Abu Dhabi GP to take title
Hamilton was still continuing to make good progress, taking Oliver Bearman for eighth place, and was less than a second behind his team-mate Ocon. Alonso was only another two seconds up the road.
With four laps to go, Norris was now three seconds further ahead of Leclerc, totalling the advantage to seven seconds, with Verstappen now 15 ahead of Piastri in the lead.
The title was now within sniffing distance for Norris, needing to keep it clean to seal the deal. He was now also within three seconds of Piastri.
Asking if there was a struggle with tyres for his team-mate, Norris was told Piastri was suffering from rear graining. He could catch him, but was safe where he was currently.
Norris dropped back, leaving Piastri three seconds ahead, 7.6s ahead of Leclerc, as Verstappen could coast to the line.
Into the final lap, and the status quo remained, the finale, in truth, becoming somewhat anticlimactic. Verstappen cruised to the line to take the victory.
But all eyes were on Norris. After seven seasons in Formula 1, it was his moment with destiny. He crossed the line to take third place, becoming the 2025 World Champion.
Leclerc was fourth, with Russell fifth, Alonso sixth, Ocon seventh, Hamilton eighth, Stroll ninth and Bearman 10th.
READ MORE – F1 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Race Results
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